Secrecy Bill Tarnishes SA Image

The legal advocacy bodies - Freedom Under Law and the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law in London – say South Africa's record as a beacon of democracy was being tarnished by the Protection of State Information Bill (POIB).

In a joint statement, the two organisations points out that, "The South African Constitution is a model to the world in its endorsement of the rule of law,” adding that, "The core principle is that no one is above the law, as interpreted by a judiciary that is independent of government influence."

They say that the country’s Constitution was one of the first to include the right of access to information, in order to promote government accountability.

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